It's probably roughly around 1202 or something.
No?
It is.
1202, Hebrews chapter 3.
Michael will be speaking from a section in Hebrews in just a while, but I want to read something which is the basis for our prayer.
So Hebrews chapter 3, verse 12.
So I'll read it and then I'll pray in response to what we've read.
Hebrews chapter 3, verse 12.
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of us has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of us may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
We have come to share in Christ, if we hold firmly till the end, the confidence we had at first.
Let's pray.
Father, we recognize that for each one of us as we go through the week, there are many voices competing for our attention.
There are many things that are trying to lead us away from the Lord Jesus.
And so it is our prayer that we would keep our thoughts and our eyes focused on him.
We pray that we would keep our thoughts and our eyes focused on him.
We pray that we would be people who quickly deal with any sin in our lives.
That we would support one another and encourage each other.
not by means of condemnation, but simply pointing one another to the Lord Jesus, the one who forgives,
the one who transforms us and changes us, the one who equips us with the power of his Holy Spirit
to live the life that he has called us to.
So, Father, we pray that as we go through this week, we would not just be thinking about ourselves,
but we would be thinking how we can spur and encourage one another on in the faith.
Father, provide us with opportunities to serve one another.
Provide us with ways to get alongside and to pray for each other.
We thank you for the support of this family.
We thank you for the testimonies of one another.
Father, I thank you for just the couple of people speaking to at coffee time,
of how they were encouraged with the church family.
Father, please that you would help us to be all that you call us to be.
We thank you for helping Betty to be with us today.
And we pray that you would continue to strengthen her
and give to her everything she needs over the coming weeks.
We pray for all those who are away, who are helping at camp or leading.
We pray that you would give them lots of energy and enthusiasm.
And we pray for every camper that they would grow in their understanding of you
and know what it is to love you and follow you.
Please help them to keep their focus on Jesus.
We pray, Father, for all the students.
And thank you for the weekend they had just gone.
We pray for their continued support on campus.
Amidst all their studies and all the work that they have to do,
we pray that they would live well for you
and continue to point others to Christ.
We thank you for our Sunday school teachers
and for those who help at Cresce who are doing that right now.
Please, would you give them the energy that they need
and fill their lives with joy to serve you well.
And that every child who is represented here
would not only grow healthy and strong,
but that they would be built up in the faith.
That they would grow to be people who follow you.
Leaders in the next generation.
People who are leading your church and growing your people.
Please be gracious in that way, we ask.
And for ourselves in all that we do this week at work,
at college or at home, wherever we find ourselves,
or if we're travelling away over the half term,
Lord, keep us close to yourself.
Keep us walking with you.
Trusting you.
And looking only to you.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, we're going to read before Michael comes and speaks.
There's two readings.
The first one is in Psalm 1,
which is on page 543.
Psalm 1,
which is on page 543.
This psalm contrasts the difference between the one who walks with God,
listening to God,
and the one who does not listen to God.
So Psalm 1,
we'll read that together.
It's on page 543.
Blessed is the man or woman
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
or stand in the way of sinners,
or sit in the seat of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law meditates day and night.
They are like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season,
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever they do prospers.
Not so the wicked.
They are like chaff,
that the wind blows away.
Therefore,
the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
And then turn to the New Testament,
to Hebrews,
chapter 12,
which is on page 1210.
Hebrews 12,
which is on page 1210.
Starting at verse 1.
Therefore,
since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders,
and the sin that so easily entangles,
and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy set before him endured the cross,
scorning at shame,
and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men,
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin,
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Okay.
I'm going to ask Michael,
who's going to come and speak.
If you don't know who Michael is,
he's related to me.
He's my father.
And,
yeah,
he's struggling with his back.
He wouldn't want me to tell you that,
but I'll tell you that.
So we've got out the wooden platform to lean against,
and I'm going to pray for him.
Thank you.
For lots of energy to stand.
Okay,
so let's pray.
Father,
thank you for all your goodness to us,
and thank you for your love,
and thank you for your word.
Thank you that you continue to speak to us,
and we pray that through Michael,
you would be speaking your words to us,
not just individually,
but corporately as a church.
And we pray that you will strengthen him physically,
and that you would empower him by your Holy Spirit,
that his pain would not be a distraction,
but he would be able to speak well,
and point us to Jesus.
We pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, in spite of a bad back,
it's a joy to be with you this morning.
And if I do wince now and again,
you'll understand the reason why.
But we're going to be looking at Hebrews chapter 12,
and focusing our thoughts particularly on verses 1 to 3.
A number of years ago,
I remember having to make a pastoral visit,
and it was quite an occasion,
the reason being that two young people were getting married,
but the father of the bridegroom
wasn't particularly pleased with the fact
that it wasn't going to be in their local Catholic church,
two young people had been converted,
and so I was asked to go and see the father.
And it was quite a big house.
I think, you know,
Downton Abbey would have looked small by comparison.
And I think the father wanted to impress me.
He'd been part of the British Army.
And he showed me into a great big dining room.
I could have met in smaller rooms, I'm sure,
but he wanted me to be impressed, I think,
and perhaps to be a little bit intimidated.
And he sat at one end of this dining table,
and I sat at the other,
and there were about room for about 20 people,
I would say, around this dining table.
And looking down on me were all these old men
dressed in their scarlets
who'd been part of the Irish Guards.
Very impressive.
There they were, all witness to our conversation.
It really impressed me,
but it also showed me that,
well, they were all dead.
They were all looking down,
but they were all dead.
I'm impressed so much more
when I come to Hebrews chapter 11.
I'm surrounded with a great crowd of witnesses.
I'm told of all these people
who lived in time past,
these Old Testament saints of God
who continued on
in the face of difficulty,
in the face of trial.
We have Abel.
We have Enoch.
We have Noah.
We have Abraham and Sarah and Isaac
and Jacob and Joseph.
We have Moses' parents.
We have Moses himself.
We have the prostitute Rahab
who became a follower
of the Lord's people
and of their God.
We have the judges.
Not mentioned much,
but they're there.
We have the prophets.
And we have a group of anonymous people
who have been sawn in two
and stoned and chained
and imprisoned
and put to death by the sword
who we're told went about
in sheepskins and goatskins,
destitute,
persecuted,
ill-treated,
wandering in deserts
and mountains
and in caves
and holes in the ground
and were bidden
to have a look at them
and to see
that they continued on
in the face of difficulty
and trial.
They didn't give up
when the going got hard.
Now, by those people,
I am impressed
much more
than the men
in the scarlet uniforms.
And I say with the hymn writer
that I want a faith like them.
Oh, for a faith
that will not shrink
though pressed by every foe,
that will not tremble
on the brink of poverty or woe,
that will not murmur
or complain
beneath the chastening rod,
but in the hour
of grief and pain
can lean
upon its God.
That's the kind
of faith
I want.
But how can I
obtain
that faith?
Well, I believe
in verses
one to three
and indeed
further on
into the chapter
twelve,
we're told
how we can have
this kind
of faith.
How we can
keep going.
And why does
the writer to the Hebrews
write in the way
he does?
Well,
the Hebrews
were tempted
to go back.
They were tempted
to give up
their Christian walk.
And they're
bidden to look
at these
Old Testament saints
and they're bidden
to be like them.
And that's why
the chapter twelve
begins
with the word
therefore.
In the light
of what I've
been saying,
this is what
you must do.
So there's four
points I want
to bring
before you
this morning.
And the first
is this,
that if we
would have
that kind
of faith,
we must be
ready to get
rid of all
that hinders.
Chapter twelve
and verse one.
Therefore,
since we are
surrounded by
such a great
cloud of witness,
let us throw
off everything
that hinders.
Now,
it was a
custom of the
day.
If you went
along to
the athletics
meetings,
it doesn't
happen today.
And in all
sincerity,
I'm glad it
doesn't,
but the Roman
runners used
to strip down
to their
bare skin.
there was
no access
weight
whatsoever.
Of course,
there was
nothing wrong
with clothes,
but they
considered that
it would
hinder their
progress in
the race.
And what
the writer
to the Hebrews
is doing here
is saying,
there are even
those legitimate
things that
must be
removed if
we are to
walk the
life of
faith.
anything
that holds
us back,
anything that
drags us
down in
the race
of life.
Of course,
there were
many things
as far as
the Hebrews
were concerned.
They had
their ceremonies
that they
had brought
up with
all their
holy days.
Other Jews
would encourage
them to
adopt food
laws and
to hold
on to
those food
laws if
they had
stopped
practicing
them.
But all
of this
had to
go,
even though
it was
legitimate,
if they
were going
to run
the race
of life.
And what
the writer
to the Hebrews
is saying,
I want you
to be
radical.
I want you
to put
off anything
that hinders
you.
Jesus,
of course,
was radical
himself,
wasn't he?
God's
love.
In Matthew
chapter 18
and verse 7,
he says,
if your hand
or your
foot
causes
you to
walk in a
way that
is not
helpful,
or if your
eye causes
you to
sin,
cut off
your hand,
cut off
your foot,
take your
eye out,
gouge it
out.
it's a
different
metaphor
to what
we have
here of
laying
aside.
But it's
the same
radical thing
that he's
asking of
the believers.
And the
Lord would
ask us,
are we
ready to
leave those
things that
would hinder
us in
our walk
with the
Lord?
Are we
ready to
put aside
anything
that
hinders?
I remember
talking to
a pastor.
He was
very able
with his
computer.
He published
a magazine
on a
regular
basis.
But he
found that
he was
spending
too much
time
with his
computer.
So he
put it
aside.
Are
televisions,
how many
hours do
we spend
looking at
it?
I enjoy
sports,
but am I
ready to
put them
aside?
Friendships
that may
not be
helpful.
Am I
ready,
if the
Lord is
calling me
to further
service for
him,
ready even
to give
up that
career,
which gives
me a good
salary?
I remember
reading the
biography of
Martin Lloyd
Jones a
number of
years ago.
He was a
Harley Street
doctor.
He was
second to
an understudy
of Lord
Hodder,
who was
physician to
the King
of England
at that
time.
The whole
medical world
lay before
him,
met tremendous
prospects.
But God
was calling
him to be
a minister
of the
word of
God.
So he
was ready
to continue
in that
way.
He was
ready to
leave behind
even though
he had a
prosperous career
laid out
before him.
Are we
ready to
do that?
To get
rid of
anything
that
hinders?
Like
Moses,
who we
read of
in Hebrews
11 and
verse 24,
who refused
to be known
as a son
of Pharaoh's
daughter.
He chose
to be
ill-treated
along with
the people
of God
rather than
to enjoy
the pleasures
of sin
for a
short time.
He knew
that he
couldn't
continue
as he
was.
Naturally,
you would
think he
would like
to stay
in the
palace.
Perhaps
he could
work better
there,
making
conditions
easier
for his
people.
No,
palace life
was a
hindrance
to him,
so it
had to
go.
Isn't
this what
the Apostle
Paul is
saying in
1 Corinthians
6 and
verse 12?
Everything
is permissible
for me,
but not
everything
is beneficial.
Everything
is permissible
for me,
but I
will not
be mastered
by anything.
I won't
let those
things control
my life.
I will
be controlled
by the
Spirit of
the living
God.
So I
ask you
this morning,
is there
anything
hindering
you in
your way
of life,
of following
the Lord
Jesus Christ?
be ready
to cast
it aside.
Throw off
everything
that
hinders
you.
The second
thing
the Apostle,
the writer
to the
Hebrews
says,
is get
rid of
that which
entangles.
That
part of
verse 1,
and the
sin that
so easily
entangles.
We know
what it is
to be
entangled.
we've
all watched
a fly
in a
web.
What does
it do
when it
gets into
the web?
It
struggles.
It
struggles
to free
itself,
but it
becomes
more
entangled.
And then
the spider
comes along
and finishes
off the
job.
The fly
dies.
The spider
obviously
rejoices.
Or we
can think
of another
way that
we can
become
entangled.
I
remember
as a
child
at school
sometimes
going in
for the
three-legged
race.
Now that
was alright
if the
person I
was attached
to was
athletic
and was
able to
run.
Yeah,
that was
great.
But
sometimes
you went
to God's
side,
somebody
had no
idea
about
running.
And
consequently
you both
end up
flat on
your face.
You were
entangled.
It wasn't
helpful.
you didn't
get very
far in
the race.
Now
says the
writer to
the Hebrews,
the sin
that so
easily
entangles.
Get
rid of
it.
That sin
that so
easily
entangles.
But notice
he refers
to it
as the
sin
that so
easily
entangles.
He's
thinking of
a
particular
sin,
a
specific
sin.
Well,
what is
that
sin?
Well,
I would
suggest
that the
context
tells us
it's
the sin
of
unbelief.
He goes
on to
speak about
Jesus,
the author
and protector
of our
faith.
So I
think the
sin that
he is
speaking
about
is the
sin
of
unbelief.
Not
in the
unbeliever,
but in
the
believer.
And it
is a
sin that
does
entangle
us.
Of course,
there are
many sins.
There's
covetousness,
there's
envy,
there's
criticism,
there's
laziness,
there's
hatred,
there's
lust,
there's
unthankfulness,
there's
pride.
Many
more sins
that we
could
mention.
But here,
it's a
lack of
faith,
a lack
of trust
in
God.
It's
a lack
of
walking
with
Him
and
being
obedient
to
His
Word.
Let me
try and
illustrate
it.
I'm
living my
life as
a
Christian.
And then
something
happens to
me.
I have
that
thorn in
the flesh.
Something
comes into
my life.
And instead
of trusting
in the
Lord,
I start
walking in
unbelief.
I've asked
the Lord to
take away
the difficulty,
but it
doesn't seem
to be going
away.
And then
the devil
comes along
and tells
me that
God has
forgotten
me.
Or I
lose my
job.
Or I
lose my
husband,
my wife.
Or I
have a
broken
relationship.
things that
happen in
everybody's
life.
And I
take my
eyes off
the Lord
and I
spiral down
into doubt
and unbelief.
And I
start behaving
like an
atheist.
Have you
ever found
yourself there?
Even as a
Christian?
That sin
that so
easily
entangles
me.
And I
begin to
say,
Christianity
doesn't
work.
Now the
Hebrews,
Christians,
were in
danger of
getting
entangled.
They were
ready to
give up.
You go
back to
chapter 10
and verse
35.
He writes,
don't throw
away your
confidence.
He's not
speaking in a
vacuum.
They were in
danger of
throwing away
their confidence.
No, don't
throw it away.
it will be
richly
rewarded.
In verse
4 of
chapter 12
he says,
in your
struggle
against sin
you have
not yet
resisted
to the
point of
shedding
your blood.
Things
could become
more difficult
for you.
Keep
on.
Remember
those who
have gone
before you.
Remember
those who
did shed
their blood
but they
didn't
give up.
So dear
Christian
friends here
this morning
in
Carragalline,
get rid
of anything
that hinders
and put
from you
that sin
of unbelief.
Hold
on to
the Lord.
Take
his word
into your
heart.
It is
utterly
dependable.
The third
thing he says
is run
with
perseverance.
Let us
run
with
perseverance
the race
marked
out for
us.
Some of
the older
versions have
the word
patience.
To keep
on even
when the
going
is tough.
The
Christian
life
is not
this,
if you
can remember
the Olympic
Games,
it's
more
of this.
You
remember
those who
ran?
The short
sprint.
It was
over very
quickly.
But the
10,000
meters goes
on,
or the
marathon
goes on
for a
long
time.
And in
Christian
service,
and we're
all called
to serve
the Lord.
We begin
when we
believe to
run in
this race.
And we
won't reach
the finishing
tape until
the day we
die.
We have
to
persevere.
We have
to run
with
patience.
And there
will be the
uphills.
There will be
obstacles.
There will
be things
that will
try and
cut in
on you.
And you
will reach
the pain
barrier that
you have to
go through.
But you're
to run
with
perseverance.
There's a
great cloud
of witnesses
looking on.
Didn't
they
persevere?
Didn't
they
continue?
Think of
Noah.
The
commentators
say he
was 120
years building
the ark.
Hauling
the timber
day after
day.
Hammering
those nails
in along
with the
rest of
his family.
Being
ridiculed
by those
who looked
on.
Look at
this great
big ark
on dry
land.
How
ridiculous
Noah.
Give it
up.
Oh
no says
Noah.
I cannot
give up.
God
has told
me.
A flood
is coming.
And he
persevered.
He
continued
patiently
forward.
Hauling
the timber
and hammering
the nails.
Moses
is mentioned.
Think of
Moses in
his life.
Which
can be
divided
into three
times
forty.
Forty
years in
the palace
enjoying
all the
luxuries.
Becoming
to recognise
that he
was part
of the
very people
of God.
And then
for forty
years being
a fugitive
out there
in the
desert
looking
after
sheep.
And then
meeting with
God and
God sending
him back
and spending
another forty
years leading
the people
towards the
promised land.
Moses
do you ever
feel like
giving up?
He tells
us he did
feel like
giving up.
Lord take
somebody else.
I've had
enough.
But he
went through
the pain
barrier
as he heard
the word
of the Lord
and he
encouraged
himself
in the
Lord.
I think
of the
apostle
Paul
shipwrecked
suffering
dangers in
this way
and that
way.
Paul
you have
the care
of all
the churches.
Do you
feel like
giving up
Paul?
Oh I have
a saviour
and I
know that
I can do
all three
things through
Christ
who gives
me
strength.
Jeremiah
the Old
Testament
prophet
nobody's
listening to
you Jeremiah
nobody cares
what you're
saying.
They're
asking you
to say
something
pleasant to
them and
all you're
telling them
is judgment
is coming.
Much easier
to shut up
isn't it
Jeremiah?
No I
must go
on speaking.
I must
persevere.
My friends
if you feel
like giving
up because
the going
is hard
keep on.
Run
with
perseverance.
But it
doesn't just
say that run
with perseverance
it says run
the road
marked out
for us
with
perseverance.
There's a
verse
from Psalm
139
and verse
16 which
says
your eyes
saw my
unformed
body.
All the
days
ordained
for me
were written
in your
book
before one
of them
came to
be.
I find that
very comforting
that nothing
can happen
to me
which is
outside the
will of a
sovereign
God.
I believe
by faith
as a
young
child.
I've
been on
that race
for nearly
70 years.
The race
that was
marked out
for me
as it
was marked
out for
you
as it
was marked
out for
this great
cloud of
witnesses.
is.
The lane
is there.
You know
if you're
running on
a track
you're
given a
lane.
If you
go out
of that
lane
you are
disqualified.
We are
to stay
in the
lane of
God's
appointment.
What will
our lanes
be like?
What will
our road
be like?
I don't
know.
but none
of us
knows.
But we
are called
to walk
by faith
and not
by sight.
We're
called to
walk in
obedience.
We're
called to
walk under
the direction
of a
sovereign
Lord who
does all
things well.
We're
called to
walk in
the light
of
eternity.
Read the
lies of the
people mentioned
in Hebrews
11.
they were
all
different.
Consider
Joseph
thrown
into a
pit by
his
brothers
being
sold as
a slave
into
Potiphar's
house
being
thrown
unjustly
into
prison
before he
went to
the palace
to become
second in
command in
the land
of Egypt.
It
wasn't an
easy pathway
for him.
it didn't
happen
overnight.
Later on
he was
saying
he says
to his
brothers
you meant
it for
evil
but God
meant it
for good.
Or look
at chapter
11 and
verse 38
about those
fugitives
who were
ill
treated.
all the
problems
that they
had to
go through
some of
them even
sawn in
two.
we don't
get that
kind of
persecution.
But we
too
in our
particular
lane
have the
joys
we have
the
hassles
at our
work
in our
schools
in our
university
we say
suffer
with the
problem
of
childlessness
we may
know
the
instance
is a
breakup
of
marriages
of a
friend
who
had a
special
needs
daughter
and they
have
had
problem
after
problem
through
her
23
years
of
her
life
I
don't
know
what
your
lane
will
be
like
I
don't
know
what
you're
going
through
now
but I
would
encourage
you
to
keep
going
on
to
get
rid
of
all
that
hinders
and
to
run
with
perseverance
the
road
mark
out
for
you
of
course
you
can
take
a
shortcut
because
you
think
it's
easier
remember
pilgrim's
progress
we find
Christian
and
faithful
taking
a
shortcut
the
ground
looked
easier
the
bypass
meadow
looked
very
nice
to
them
not
so
difficult
as a
way
that
they
were
on
but
remember
because
they
took
that
shortcut
they
quickly
found
themselves
locked
up
in
doubting
castle
and
giant
despair
took
hold
of
them
my
friends
don't
go out
of the
way
because
it
seems
easier
follow
this
word
walk
in
his
way
oh
it
may
you
may
look
at
the
world
and
say
they
don't
have
the
problems
that
I
do
as
a
Christian
they
don't
have
the
difficulties
that
I
have
as
a
Christian
but
my
friends
keep
on
the
road
the
race
that
is
marked
out
for
you
and
it
will
always
be
the
best
way
all
things
do
work
together
for
good
to
those
that
love
God
and
to
those
that
are
the
called
according
to
his
purpose
so
get
rid
of
all
that
hinders
that
which
entangles
and run
with
perseverance
the
road
marked
out
for
you
the
road
of
God's
appointment
and
the
final
thing
I
want
to
say
to
you
this
morning
is
this
and
it
is
a
most
important
of
what
I
am
saying
this
morning
as
you
do
it
keep
your
eyes
fixed
on
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
we
have
it
there
don't
we
in
verse
2
let
us
fix
our
eyes
on
Jesus
the
author
and
perfecter
of
our
faith
who
for
the
joy
set
before
him
endured
the
cross
scorning
his
shame
and sat
down
at
the
right
hand
of
the
throne
of
God
consider
him
who
endured
such
opposition
from
sinful
men
so that
you
will
not
grow
weary
and
lose
heart
now
notice
what he
says
here
let's
break
it up
fix
your
eyes
upon
Jesus
now
I like
using
the full
title
when I'm
speaking about
the Lord
Jesus
he is
the Lord
Jesus
Christ
but here
Jesus
is mentioned
it's not
his full
title
it was a
name that
was given
to the
man
Jesus
you shall
call his
name
Jesus
for he
shall save
his people
from their
sins
and what
the writer
wants us
to do
is to
fix our
eyes upon
the Lord
Jesus
who
became
man
who
also
had to
persevere
fix your
eyes upon
the Lord
Jesus
who had
to persevere
to the
end
he was
in all
points
tempted
like us
he
suffered
as other
men
he
suffered
on the
cross
if you
are the
Christ
save
yourself
and thus
said the
two thieves
although one
had a
change of
mind
the crowd
shouted
if you
are the
Christ
come down
from the
cross
give it
up
my
friends
fix your
eyes upon
Jesus
who
endured
who
kept
going
even to
the point
of laying
down his
life
on the
cross
and you
find that
these
Old
Testament
saints
they
also
fixed
their
eyes
upon
Jesus
Abraham
we are
told in
John 8
and verse
56
rejoiced
to see
the day
of Christ
and was
glad
his eyes
were fixed
he looked
forward
to Jesus
in
Hebrews
11
and verse
26
we said
we read
Moses
regarded
disgrace
for the
sake
of
Christ
greater
riches
than the
treasures
of
Egypt
they
fix
their
eyes
upon
Jesus
and
you
and I
as we
go
through
life
fix
your
eyes
upon
Jesus
who
endured
right
to the
end
fix
your
eyes
upon
Jesus
the
author
and
perfecter
of
faith
the
R
isn't
in
the
original
he
was
a
pioneer
of
faith
why
do
you
and
I
believe
because
of
him
the
gift
of
faith
comes
to
us
through
him
by
way
of
the
spirit
he
initiates
all
faith
and
bestows
all
faith
he's
the
author
of
faith
and
he's
the
perfecter
of
faith
he's
all
that
faith
is
required
to
be
when
Jesus
was
on
earth
he
lived
in
total
dependence
on
the
father
always
doing
his
will
never
deviating
from
the
path
marked
out
for
him
fix
your
eyes
upon
him
who
said
not
my
will
be
done
but
yours
be
done
fix
your
eyes
upon
Jesus
the
author
and
perfecter
of
our
faith
fix
your
eyes
upon
the
one
who
endured
the
cross
go to
Gethsemane
see the
sweat drops
of
blood
if
you
are
willing
let
this
cup
pass
from
me
nevertheless
not my
will
but yours
be
done
see
his
physical
suffering
see
also
his
spiritual
suffering
see
the
sin
of
the
world
laid
upon
him
tempted
to
give
up
father
forgive
them
for
they
know
not
what
they
do
he
knew
that
there
was
no
other
way
and
Christ
showed
his
love
for
the
church
and
gave
himself
for
it
and
my
friends
if
Jesus
Christ
be
God
and
died
for
me
then
no
sacrifice
is
too
great
for
me
to
make
for
him
fix
your
eyes
upon
Jesus
who
endured
the
cross
for
you
and
for
me
fix
your
eyes
upon
Jesus
who
scorned
the
shame
of
the
cross
he
was
a
man
of
sorrows
and
acquainted
with
grief
he
hangs
naked
upon
the
cross
a
spectacle
to
the
world
bystanders
like
the
priest
are
gloating
over
him
and
laughing
at
him
there's
a
callous
indifference
of the
soldiers
there's
a
snickering
crowd
and we
know
that just
a cry
from him
would have
brought
the
armies
of
heaven
and he
could have
been brought
down
from the
cross
of
shame
but he
dismisses
it
as
nothing
fix
your
eyes
on
him
and all
he
went
through
for
you
and ran
with
perseverance
the race
marked out
for you
of course
you cannot
bear the
sin of
another
as he
did
but you
can
seek to
be like
him
and keep
going
on
he
scorned
the shame
why
well
consider him
we're told
in verse
three who
endured
such
opposition
from
sinful
man
so that
you
will
not
grow
weary
and
lose
heart
consider
in the
original
it's the
word
from where
we get
logarithm
in other
words to
carefully
calculate
what Jesus
went through
as he
suffered at
the hands
of Caiaphas
of Herod
of Pilate
of the
soldiers
of the
mob
of people
who yelled
for his
crucifixion
consider him
when you're
tempted to
give up
when you're
tempted to
abandon
the race
when you're
tempted to
throw in
the towel
look at
what Jesus
went through
for you
and for me
consider him
the man
Jesus
who suffered
in your
place
see his
perseverance
and hear
him cry
yet continue
on
my God
why have
you
forsaken
me
consider
the man
who endured
the cross
and despised
the shame
and it
would not
be in
vain
follow him
as the
example
why did
he go
through all
this suffering
well he
went through
it
for the
joy
that was
set
before him
he went
through it
that he
might sit
at the
father's
right hand
that he
might enjoy
the glory
of heaven
so fix
your eyes
upon him
and recognize
that the
suffering
you go
through
and the
ridicule
that you
suffer
and all
that happens
in your
life
are but
as nothing
compared
with the
joy that
will be
yours
in heaven
get rid
of all
that hinders
persevere
run in the
lane that
God has
marked out
for you
and fix
your eyes
upon Jesus
remember
that it's
a light
affliction
that is
working for
you
an eternal
weight
of glory
it will
all be
worth it
and all
praise
to his
name
amen
let's pray
father we
thank you
that we
have this
exhortation
to continue
on
lord we
know
that all
of us
have been
tempted
to give
up
all of
us
oh lord
have heard
the devil
whispering
in our
ears
why do
you keep
on
believing
but thank
you that
you've given
us a glimpse
of the
lord Jesus
you've shown
us all
his love
for us
and we
thank you
for that
so help
us oh lord
to fix
our eyes
upon Jesus
and run
with perseverance
the race
marked out
for us
help us
we pray
and empower
us by
your spirit
may we
see our
own
responsibilities
of getting
rid of
anything
that hinders
may we
put from
us any
doubts
and unbeliefs
may we
hold on
to your
word
and may
we look
to Jesus
and may
his be
all the
glory
amen
up